More About Coach Dan

I am a USA Basketball certified Youth Development coach with over 16 years of experience coaching the players of all levels. Currently, I am the Head Boys Varsity HS Basketball coach at College Prep School in Oakland and enrolled in the Sport Psychology Master's program at JFK University. In addition, I facilitate coach’s workshops as a trainer with Positive Coaching Alliance.

In addition to on-court skill development, my education in Sport Psychology allows me to help players develop their mental game, including confidence, focus, goal setting, and motivation. I believe in creating a basketball “laboratory,” in which the player is comfortable making mistakes, going outside their comfort zones, embracing a present-moment focus and process orientation.

Prior to relocating to the Bay Area in the summer of 2015, I served as Director of Sports Programs at 92Y in New York City, where I simultaneously worked as a basketball coach for the New York Knicks Community Relations department. During that time I trained hundreds of New York City basketball players in 1on1, small group, and team settings.

I am now accepting new players 6th grade and up. My focus is on the maintenance of strengths and improvement of weaknesses in all areas of the game. I While I specialize in ball-handling, shooting, and footwork, I have taught all facets of the game to athletes of all levels, from current collegiate players and minor league professionals to the very beginners - and every level in between! My passion for the game drives my love of coaching. My goal is to inspire players with that enthusiasm for basketball.

I played HS Basketball through the Varsity level and went on to serve as manger of the Wesleyan Men's Basketball team in Middletown, CT. I have been coaching ever since!

We start with a dynamic warm-up and move on to basic every-day skills including ball-handling, footwork, and shooting. The remainder of the session is based on the particular players' needs. Each session is based on an individualized overall plan to develop that player.

Action Photos

Client Reviews

Constance (CoachUp client)

(no details provided)

Kevin (CoachUp client)

(no details provided)

Sidney (CoachUp client)

Hope I get to work with him again

Brian (CoachUp client)

Coach Dan has been working with my son and another middle school boy in one on two sessions. He has the boys' complete attention and they are engaged and having fun while working at a high level. The sessions have a great flow, with Coach Dan adapting and thinking on his feet to fit the situation and maximizing the session. Time with Coach Dan is time very well spent!

Elton (CoachUp client)

(no details provided)

Stephanie (CoachUp client)

Love the way Dan give encouragement to my son Joseph who was able to stay focus the whole session

Doug (CoachUp client)

Great with my 11yo!

Charlene (CoachUp client)

(no details provided)

Dan (CoachUp client)

In this one introductory session Coach Dan significantly raised my son’s understanding of technique and his self confidence. After the session, my son enthusiastically asked for additional sessions with Coach Dan. I was floored to hear him say that! Clearly, Coach Dan inspired him. We’ll be back for more.

Cindy (CoachUp client)

What a great session! Our 14 year old actually told us all about it after, and he's usually pretty reserved! :) Great skill development!! Can't wait for more sessions!

Thera (CoachUp client)

(no details provided)

Toby (CoachUp client)

Solid first lesson. Coach Dan was prompt, professional and knowledgeable. He has a great demeanor and is very engaging.

My 13 yo son enjoyed the workout and left feeling confident and more aware of strengths and areas of improvement. I really liked how Coach Dan was patient and positive with my son. He used lots of reflective listening and strength based comments. My son responded well to that technique. We will be using him again for sure.

Rochelle (CoachUp client)

(no details provided)

Juan (CoachUp client)

Definitely top notch. I would recommend Coach Dan. He was patient with the young athletes, offered detailed and individual feedback.

Mark (CoachUp client)

Coach Dan is a fantastic coach for my 10-year old son. We only had our introductory lesson, but I can tell that if he worked with Coach Dan for even just a few months he would be a completely different player - levels above where he is now. Coach Dan has great energy and is very clear and detailed with his instructions and feedback. He is also very encouraging and kept my son focused on important aspects of the drills. Coach Dan was also really accommodating when we had to rearrange the lesson a couple times due to illness and weather. I look forward to seeing my son’s game grow with future sessions.

Rose (CoachUp client)

I liked Dan a lot. It was a challenging workout, and definitely made me better.
Matt Neilan

Bridget (CoachUp client)

It was so great. Coach Dan totally exceeded my expectations.

Natalie (CoachUp client)

I let coach Dan know ahead of time we were looking for recurrent sessions, and yet he notified us he couldn't commit after just one lesson. I wouldn't have scheduled a lesson with coach Dan if I knew he was overbooked ahead of time. He is a good coach, so still giving 3 points for content.

Jonathan (CoachUp client)

(no details provided)

Young Ri (CoachUp client)

nice coaching for a beginner

Walter (CoachUp client)

(no details provided)

Martin (CoachUp client)

(no details provided)

Hansen (CoachUp client)

(no details provided)

Anne (CoachUp client)

Really great! Super focused with a lot of energy and good drills and pointers.

Julie (CoachUp client)

Coach Dan was excellent. He was very professional. He was extremely helpful and encouraging and friendly.

Kevin (CoachUp client)

(no details provided)

Sheila (CoachUp client)

(no details provided)

Noah (CoachUp client)

(no details provided)

Kayman (CoachUp client)

(no details provided)

David (CoachUp client)

Awesome coach, gave me a great work out even though I was massively out of shape. He staggered the drills so I could catch my breath and still get a good work out.

Frances (CoachUp client)

My son had a great first session with Coach Dan and immediately wanted to continue to work with him!

Persis (CoachUp client)

Dan was great for my 14-year old son. He helped him focus, build his basketball skills, and set concrete goals. He was patient, honest, and ready to help!

Chris (CoachUp client)

Dan was a really fun coach to work with. He quickly assessed my skill level and pushed me outside of my comfort zone to work on skills that I wouldn't normally work on. Overall, I really enjoyed our session.

Elvin (CoachUp client)

(no details provided)

Liz (CoachUp client)

My son had a great session with Coach Dan and was excited to work with him again!

Suzannah (CoachUp client)

Great first session! Encouraging & effective use of time. "Mom, that was really good, we got a lot of things in for just one hour!" (direct quote by my 16-year old while in the car driving back home)

Christopher (CoachUp client)

My 11-year-old son loves working with Coach Dan. By helping him master basketball fundamentals, Coach Dan helps my son increase his confidence (and fun) in his youth leagues. Highly recommended.

Liana (CoachUp client)

Coach Dan is awesome. My 8 year old son said he really enjoyed his practice tonight and is now very motivated after one class !

Joey (CoachUp client)

My son immediately bonded with Coach Dan. In my 12 year old's words: "Dan is fun, works me hard, explains things well and he's great!" I feel so lucky to have found such a great coach who brings so much to the table. He present great drills, quickly understood my son, had a fabulous attitude and fully engaged for the entire session.

Marc C. / father of former player Harrison (Testimonial)

I think you already know but I'll say it anyway, Harrison and I appreciate the thought and care you put into the workouts. It is clearly evident that you "CARE". We have worked with many coaches and I must say, you are at the very top of the list. It is no doubt that due to the work you have done with Harrison, that he is the player he is today and the player he will become. He is motivated to make a LEAP this summer and is eager to show you the hard work he is putting in each day, on and off the court. Keep up the great work!!!

Al S. / parent of former player John (Testimonial)

1. You exude enthusiasm and a love of basketball, which is inspiring to John and is a wonderful way for a coach to appear to his players.
2. You give instructions loudly and clearly which is important when coaching. Many might consider this a small point, but I think it is a significant one. I think kids respond best to very clear instructions. You also demonstrate what the player is to do – “ . . . step forward with your left foot, look inside, keep the ball up . . . “ all of these particulars are key to a child’s understanding what to do.
3. I think you are able to discern your players’ capabilities and I think you expect your players to strive to perform at their highest level. I do not think you expect players to be expert (or even good) players, but I think you expect players to put forth their best effort, which is the standard that should be expected of players. I think this aspect will help players in areas outside sports as they will learn to always put forth their best work.
4. You run fundamental skill building drills, which is excellent training for the players. I suspect that many players want to “play” more than they want to perform drills, but you run the drills in a way that is fun, challenging and provides an excellent workout. I also think you expect yourself to be able to perform anything that you ask your players to perform, and that results in strong leadership from you. You are in good physical shape which is another good example that you set.
5. You are quick to praise good performance, which of course is encouraging to players – everyone loves to be complimented. You are also clear but mild in your criticism, which helps the player realize that you are trying to assist them.
6. I think you size up your players individually and that you coach to their needs. This individualized focus is a huge benefit for the player.
7. I think you take the lessons seriously. You come prepared to coach, you know what you worked on last week, you know what you want to work on this week, and you are on time.

Ben Diamond, Springfield College basketball player (Testimonial)

Training with Danny Ourian was a game-changing experience. His close attention to detail helped me improve my jump shot and his constant positive energy made me a more confident player. He's not afraid to try new drills and he's always studying the game, looking for improved methods of training. I loved training with Dany Hoops and I can't wait for our next sessions together!

Ken McGrory, Safe Haven West Side Basketball League special needs division Director (Testimonial)

A gift to the game of basketball.

Ernie Roth, CEO Furman Roth Investing, Parent (Testimonial)

Danny can coach basketball to anyone at any level. Kids love him. His knowledge of the game (in addition to being a great player) is top notch. More importantly, he has excellent coaching credentials & has a wonderful way with kids/players of all levels.